Routes

This week: British Airways is adding a 27th destination in the US to its network; WestJet plans to increase its presence in Boston; and Sun Country Airlines is expanding to Canada for the first time.

Denver-based ultra-low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines is making Miami International Airport one of its hubs in 2020, as well as returning to Central America with flights to Guatemala City and San Salvador and adding two new destinations in the Dominican Republic.

We profile Thai Airways, the flag carrier of Thailand and Routes Asia 2020 attendee.

As 2019 draws to a close, Routesonline revisits some of the biggest stories making the headlines. Part one of our review looks at the first six months of the year, featuring Thai Lion Air, Air Transat, airBaltic, Qantas, Jet Airways and more.

Wizz Air is further expanding from its Central and Eastern Europe heartlands with plans to enter the Armenian market and establish an airline based in Abu Dhabi.

Singapore Airlines is adding Belgium’s capital city Brussels to its network from next October, becoming the Star Alliance member’s 16th destination in Europe.

US LCC Spirit believes niche markets and fare-based market stimulation will continue to present growth opportunities.

Following on from a successful Routes Africa and citing World Routes as a primary catalyst, Cape Town has today welcomed United Airlines’ new seasonal service from Newark/New York.

Fourteen airports and five destinations have been shortlisted in this year’s Routes Americas Awards.

This week: VietJet is further expanding service to Seoul; Air France plans to resume flights to Monrovia in Liberia; and German leisure airline Condor is adding a sixth destination in Canada.

Qantas has selected European manufacturer Airbus to supply up to 12 A350-1000 aircraft capable of flying the world’s longest commercial routes from the east coast of Australia to London and New York. The Oneworld member will make a decision whether to push ahead with its ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise plans in March 2020.

We profile Viva Air Colombia, the low-cost carrier which is attending Routes Americas 2020.

Nominated and judged by airline network planners, the annual Routes Africa Awards are highly regarded in the aviation industry for recognising excellence in the route development.

Attempts to constrain liberalisation in Africa will wipe more than 50 million passengers off the continent’s forecast market size by 2038, delegates at Routes Africa have heard.

LATAM Airlines Group has confirmed plans to develop a joint venture agreement with British Airways owner International Airlines Group have been terminated.

Scandinavian carrier SAS is ending its route between Copenhagen and Tokyo Narita and will instead serve the Japanese capital’s Haneda airport.

Aviation Week Network’s Airport Strategy & Marketing (ASM), a global consulting firm dedicated to supporting airports, airlines, tourism authorities and governments with the development of new air routes, has announced a new addition with the appointment of William Pearson as business development director.

Mombasa is at the centre of the African aviation industry this week as the city hosts the three-day Routes Africa forum.

The Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) needs to act as a wake-up call for countries across the continent to “get serious and get going”, delegates at Routes Africa 2019 have heard.

Countries in Africa are becoming more open to each other, but progress is needed to realise free movement of people continent-wide.

Routes Africa, the continent’s longest standing and most established aviation forum, has today got underway in Mombasa, Kenya.

When it comes to defining what makes the perfect airport partner, most airlines have a whole list of requirements, ranging from marketing support to comprehensive data analysis on the potential market for the new route. But when it comes to Korean Air, vice-president network planning team, passenger network and sales Hoyoon Jeong says there is only one, simple requirement to start the conversation: do you have the right slots?

This week: Hainan Airlines is returning to the Hungarian market; EVA Air plans Phuket resumption; and Juneyao Air add more European routes.

We profile Comair, the South African airline that operates scheduled services on domestic routes as a British Airways franchisee.

This week: Air France-KLM drops Virgin Atlantic deal plans; Ryanair to close two bases; Transavia to start Brussels service; codeshare agreed between Gulf Air and Middle East Airlines and more.